2017 Subaru Forester Air bags Problems
- Complaints
- 167about this part
- Share
- 28%of 593 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 30,000miles
- Trend
- RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 167 complaints about the air bags of the 2017 Subaru Forester, 28% of the 593 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 30,000 miles. 14 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers. 1 recall campaign on record is filed under a similar system.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Involved in a car accident that was where the Subaru was t-boned on the passenger side, resulting in extensive damage. Both front and rear door and all paneling on the passenger side had to be replaced. The side airbags failed to deploy upon impact. My vehicle was moving at 40mph and the vehicle that hit me was going 20-30mph and accelerating.”
NHTSA complaint #11265346, filed 2019-10, 41,500 miles“Passenger airbag sensor indicated off, when it should've been on. There was an adult in the passenger seat. The indicator was on after starting the car. I was able to reset by turning car off and turning ignition back on and off. The indicator came back on. It turned off on subsequent starting of automobile. I received email from Subaru starlink the next day too.”
NHTSA complaint #11254832, filed 2019-09, 35,020 miles“Passenger airbag warning light comes on/ goes off intermittently. The light warns us that the airbag is off despite having a passenger in the seat. I have seen online that many people are having this problem so I wanted to log our issue with NHTSA as well. The vehicle has never deployed it airbags nor been in a front end collision.”
NHTSA complaint #11256607, filed 2019-09, 30,000 miles“The passenger air bag systems shuts off when a passenger is in the seat on our 2017 Subaru Forester. We've tried several things to getting out of the vehicle and back in, shutting the car off and starting it back up to see if the air bag system would reset itself. It does not work. We have not gone to the dealership yet as this just started. Will be calling them soon.”
NHTSA complaint #11220818, filed 2019-06, 40,000 miles“On october 4, 2019 my car was parked and the passenger rear bumper was hit and damaged by a school bus. My car has been in the shop 4 times to get fixed and it is still not fixed. The bsd/rcta sensors are not working. The dealership has fixed this issue 4 times now and I am taking it back to the dealership for a 5th time.”
NHTSA complaint #11283115, filed 2019-12, 42,195 milesRelated recalls
- 19V701000Oct 3, 2019Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Forester vehicles equipped with heated seats. An electrical connection in the front passenger…Covers: Subaru Forester 2015–2018
Related service bulletins
- 11005609Jul 15, 2024This announcement provides information on Takata Recall Escalated Towing Program.
- 10252544Mar 28, 2024Due to limited part supply, the availability of the passenger front seat cushion may not satisfy demand. To reduce extended downtime for the customer, this bulletin announces the…
Air bags: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 | 4% |
| 2024 | 7 | 23% |
| 2023 | 6 | 8% |
| 2022 | 4 | 4% |
| 2021 | 2 | 1% |
| 2020 | 11 | 2% |
| 2019 | 17 | 2% |
| 2018 | 99 | 20% |
| 2017 | 167 | 28% |
| 2016 | 100 | 24% |
| 2015 | 102 | 17% |
| 2014 | 57 | 14% |
| 2013 | 13 | 17% |
| 2012 | 20 | 19% |
| 2011 | 29 | 20% |
| 2010 | 42 | 16% |
| 2009 | 40 | 22% |
| 2008 | 6 | 12% |
| 2007 | 6 | 8% |
| 2006 | 6 | 7% |
| 2005 | 5 | 5% |
| 2004 | 21 | 10% |
| 2003 | 25 | 13% |
| 2002 | 10 | 11% |
| 2001 | 12 | 9% |
| 2000 | 1 | 1% |
| 1999 | 2 | 2% |
| 1998 | 6 | 6% |
Other parts of the 2017 Subaru Forester
116 complaintsElectrical system
106 complaintsOther or unknown
97 complaintsEngine
47 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
46 complaintsSeats
34 complaintsVehicle speed control
33 complaintsSteering
25 complaintsBrakes
15 complaintsBody and structure
15 complaintsSuspension
13 complaintsWheels
13 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2017 Subaru Forester
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology